The culmination to the 2016 season for Hull KR and Salford Red Devils would see one of the sides relegated to the Championship while the other would take their place in Super League for 2017.

There is no denying that the 'Million Pound Game' concept is cruel to one, and come five o'clock would be devastating to one of these sides, but it brings unrivalled and unparalleled excitement to the seasons end.

Eighty-one minutes would ultimately determine who would be smiling and who would be shedding tears.

First blood was drawn by KR on six minutes when Adam Walker benefitted from a Weller Hauraki knock-on to stretch for the line and ground on the whitewash. Josh Mantellato kicked the conversion for the perfect start for the home side.

With twelve minutes on the clock Josh Mantellato scored a spectacular try as he left for the line but grounded the ball just before being pushed into touch by Gareth O'Brien. He failed to convert his own try from the touchline but Hull KR were in control.

The Salford fans breathed a huge sigh of relief on eighteen. After Mantellato conceded a penalty for a second half fort in the tackle, the Red Devils used three plays before Ben Murdoch-Masilla found a massive gap to run the angle and walk over for the visitors first. O'Brien failed to add the conversion for 4-10.

Another penalty on the half hour, this time when Maurice Blair interfered with Michael Dobson, the Red Devils used five tackles to drive up the middle before they gave the ball some air to the left win where Niall Evalds went in to score on the overlap. O'Brien kicked the conversion to level the score at 10-10.

Just before the interval Josh Griffin held Ben Cockayne down in the tackle and conceded a penalty inside his own ten which Mantellato kicked to regain a lead for KR, by two points.

The Red Devils dominated the opening minutes of the second half but on fifty-six it was Robin Thomas Minns who extended the KR lead when he beat the Salford defence to get a hand to the ball to ground a Graeme Horne grubber. Mantellato kicked the extras to give the home side an eight point advantage.

As time wore on the Red Devils had fewer playing staff to draw on as their injury list mounted and they spent increasingly long periods defending in their own half.

On seventy-eight Niall Evalds completed a breakout move which Salford started on their twenty metre line to go over in the corner. O'Brien couldn't add a quick penalty and left his side four behind with a minute left on the clock.

As the final hooter sounded Greg Johnson completed a seventy metre Salford try to go over in the right hand corner, after the ball was kept alive in frantic circumstances, to sensationally level the scores. O'Brien dropped the ball short of the sticks and we were into Golden Point extra time to determine who would be playing Super League in 2017.

With fifty four seconds on the clock Gareth O'Brien kicked a forty-seven metre drop goal, the first of his Salford career, to snatch the win for the Salford Red Devils.

It was a sensational ending to the season, the cruelest of finishes for Hull KR, but an incredible win at the death for Salford.

It's Salford who will be playing Super League in 2017 and Hull KR who will be playing their rugby in the Championship. Heartbreak for the KR fans, but sheer delight for the supporters of the Red Devils . It was a nervy game from both sides which emphasised its importance but on the day the side who played all the time until the last minute won the game.

KR: Cockayne, Sio, Minns (T), Thornley, Mantellato (T, 3G), Campese, Marsh, Tilse, Lunt, Walker (T), Blair, Clarkson, Donaldson. Subs: Peacock, Horne, Allgood, Jubb.

Red Devils: O'Brien (G, DG), Johnson (T), Jones, Sau, Griffin J., Lui, Dobson, Burgess, Tomkins, Griffin G., Murdoch-Masila (T), Hauraki, Flanagan. Subs: Evalds (2T), Kopczak, Krasniqi, Kenny.

Referee: Phil Bentham.

Attendance: .